Wednesday, December 21, 2011

'Three Ponds'

'Three Ponds', the Victor Morawetz estate designed by Delano & Aldrich c. 1912 in Woodbury. Click HERE and HERE for more on 'Three Ponds'.


Photos from Architecture, 1918.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Excuse the off topic, but has anyone seen the recently restored Knollwood Gates at the Muttontown Preserve? It was "dedicated" on December 10th.

The Devoted Classicist said...

I particularly enjoyed the links to the previous posts showing the 3-part panoramic photo of the entrance court and the floor plans which had a few surprises.

So the house is maintained as the clubhouse of the city golf course and open to the public?

The Down East Dilettante said...

Nobody did this better than Delano and Aldrich---they knew how to bend the rules a little, and they understand that, unlike certain other architects whose name I won't mention, that it's as much about what you leave out as what you put in...

The Ancient said...

Anyone know just how and when this became a golf course?

(If you look at the building on Bing, it seems as if the original footprint is more or less intact, with an expansion in the rear and a new wing to the right.)

Dilettante --

What color would you paint those shutters? Blue?

The Down East Dilettante said...

Ancient, too funny that you should ask, as I had actually asked myself that question earlier, when I noticed that they appeared to have a medium color value.

I'd probably go for a deep rich gray, or one of those indefinable and perfect French blue/green/grey shades.

archibuff said...

Anon, The restored Knollwood gates look fantastic. The town also enhanced the setting with a circular stone forecourt enclosed by evergreens and a few bollard/posts. They also scraped about 100 feet of the old pavement behind the gates to give one a sense of the old entrance drive. Unfortunately the gates only make one feel lament the loss of the magnificent estate and gardens that sat behind them.
And DED, go ahead, just do it, I know you are dying to type in those 3 letters, we all know you want to....but that other architect had tons of fun with his commissions. I say you cant compare apples and oranges. If given the choice between this lovely home or Pembroke, well you know where my bags would be headed.

Anonymous said...

To me it is sad that a house like this is not a single-family estate for a family to love living in.

Anonymous said...

I agree Archibuff, while the town did a splendid job...it makes it all the more remorseful of what does not lie beyond those gates anymore.


So does anyone know the answer to Devoted's question as to whether the club is open to the public?

archibuff said...

As far as I know the public course is open to Town of Oyster Bay residents only. There is a catering franchise in the home, but I think one can also make reservations for dinner there too. All in all, this is a happy compromise. The course did preserve a lot of mature landscaping and the home is put to a useful purpose.

Anonymous said...

http://www.oysterbaytown.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7BF5EDEC47-D633-40FB-BE56-1D0F60C3B0EC%7D&DE=%7B0635B1C7-C377-4555-A9C0-5067BBC8C337%7D

Billy C said...

Yes the House is now a very popular wedding venue. The name of it is "The Woodlands". You can do a google search to view the Woodlands website. I have been here several times for weddings and it is beautiful!!!